Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this amendment and commend my friend Congressman Posey for his work on this jobs initiative.

Florida is home to Kennedy Space Center, the heart of NASA's space shuttle program. With tens of thousands of highly-skilled men and women currently working on the Space Coast in support of NASA's human space flight program, their jobs are threatened by the Administration's decision to end the shuttle program and cancel Constellation without a viable plan for the future of space exploration. These jobs will be lost, possibly forever, and in the midst of a housing and economic recession not seen in Florida in decades. Mr. Speaker, the truth is that the Space Coast cannot afford to lose these jobs.

That is why I am proud to stand with Mr. Posey in support of this much needed amendment. Make no mistake, this is a jobs amendment--one that will help support families and small businesses throughout Central Florida. Specifically this amendment commits the Department of Defense to use the National Shuttle Logistics Depot to the greatest extent practicable and to assist in the preservation of our highly skilled aerospace and engineering workforce. By utilizing already existing infrastructure and a trained workforce, the government can leverage this unique skill set to advance our nation's space and defense missions at minimal cost to the American taxpayer.

The aerospace workers across the country have already been hit by an economy struggling under the tax and spend policies of the President and now, without a solid plan from NASA on what is next for the space program, the industry base will simply disappear. This is an easy way for the federal government to utilize the resources we already have to help create aerospace jobs throughout the country, without throwing away decades of technology and laying off tens of thousands of highly skilled workers.

Mr. Speaker, when governments like China are gearing up for the next big explosion in space industry and technologies, preserving this workforce is not just about ensuring people have jobs--it is about the national security interests of our nation.

If we lose this national asset, I fear we will forever be remembered as the country that gave up the last frontier. One that looked to the stars and told the world we weren't interested.

I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this jobs amendment to help save a workforce we desperately need.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 268, which would reaffirm America's commitment to a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states: a democratic Jewish State of Israel and a democratic Palestinian state living in peace and mutual recognition.

For six decades, throughout 12 American Presidents and 12 Israeli Prime Ministers, Israel has stood as a beacon of democracy in an unstable region and has remained a loyal and committed friend to the United States. As Americans, we must continue to honor the promise of democracy and liberty around the world--we owe no less than that to our closest friend in the Middle East. This is why we'll continue to stand with Israel, continue to honor our friendship, and to continue my commitment to encouraging a negotiated peace that both the Israelis and the Palestinians have agreed to--not one that is imposed upon them.

The United States should not and cannot dictate how peace can be reached with the Palestinians, especially when they are willing to allow Hamas, a terrorist organization, to participate in any of their elections. This is why I strongly disagree with the President's strategy to force Israel into a peace they have not negotiated.

Again, I want to rise in support of H. Res. 268. I believe that the only peace will be a negotiated peace between Israel and the Palestinians without any influence of terrorists.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Matthew Timmer for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

Throughout the history of the Boy Scouts of America, the rank of Eagle Scout has only been attained through dedication to concepts such as honor, duty, country and charity. By applying these concepts to daily life, Matthew has proven his true and complete understanding of their meanings, and thereby deserves this honor.

I offer my congratulations on a job well done and best wishes for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Christopher Erbe for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

Throughout the history of the Boy Scouts of America, the rank of Eagle Scout has only been attained through dedication to concepts such as honor, duty, country and charity. By applying these concepts to daily life, Christopher has proven his true and complete understanding of their meanings, and thereby deserves this honor.

I offer my congratulations on a job well done and best wishes for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Skyler James Reese for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

As the son of a retired Air Force officer, Skyler showed his determination to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout by continuing his scouting in five different states where he had to prove himself each time. Throughout the history of the Boy Scouts of America, the rank of Eagle Scout has only been attained through dedication to concepts such as honor, duty, country and charity. By applying these concepts to daily life, Skyler has proven his true and complete understanding of their meanings, and thereby deserves this honor.

I offer my congratulations on a job well done and best wishes for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Stephen Philip Slade for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

Stephen showed his dedication to his community and to scouting by fixing and painting a rusted swing set for a local school in Merritt Island, Florida. Throughout the history of the Boy Scouts of America, the rank of Eagle Scout has only been attained through dedication to concepts such as honor, duty, country and charity. By applying these concepts to daily life, Christian has proven his true and complete understanding of their meanings, and thereby deserves this honor.

I offer my congratulations on a job well done and best wishes for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Christian Svetics for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

Throughout the history of the Boy Scouts of America, the rank of Eagle Scout has only been attained through dedication to concepts such as honor, duty, country and charity. By applying these concepts to daily life, Christian has proven his true and complete understanding of their meanings, and thereby deserves this honor.

I offer my congratulations on a job well done and best wishes for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Mason Dowdy for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

For his Eagle Scout project, Mason provided trail markers for a youth ranch to help hundreds of young adults who re-enact a pioneer lifestyle. Throughout the history of the Boy Scouts of America, the rank of Eagle Scout has only been attained through dedication to concepts such as honor, duty, country and charity. By applying these concepts to daily life, Mason has proven his true and complete understanding of their meanings, and thereby deserves this honor.

I offer my congratulations on a job well done and best wishes for the future.

Thank you. I, too, want to join my colleagues here tonight. And like my distinguished colleague from South Dakota, my father always taught me that you can do and be anything you would like as long as you're willing to work hard for it. It had nothing to do with your gender. It's just as long as you're willing to work hard for it.

So I took this to heart, and it is something that has stuck with me throughout my life whether it was when I joined the Air Force at 17 or when I was a single mother working two jobs trying to keep food on the table, or as a person who was working during the day and paying my way through the police academy at night or later on as a State legislator and now as a Member of Congress. I know what it's like to struggle, and I understand how difficult it is for women and families across this Nation during these tough economic times. I never aspired to be in public office, but a strong sense of justice and a love and an appreciation for our great country led me to where I am here today.

I ran for the Florida legislature years ago after I lost my second husband in the line of duty as a deputy sheriff because I was always there testifying on behalf of victims' and citizens' rights issues. One year I couldn't believe what I had heard, and I got involved so much with legislation that had passed that I felt it tied my hands as a police officer to do what I was sworn to do, and that was to protect and serve the community I was hired in in Orange County, Florida. So I decided to do something about it. I ran and was elected to Florida's 33rd district.

Eight years later, as I was preparing to come home and retire and be back and reacquaint myself with my family, I witnessed what a lot of people, a lot of families witnessed throughout this country--and that was our country was accruing an astronomical amount of debt. They were recklessly spending taxpayers' hard-earned money, and the passage of the Obama health care plan and rapid unemployment in Florida and across the Nation was just too much to bear. So I knew our country was heading down the wrong path--an unsustainable path--and something needed to be done.

The trajectory of the Nation's fiscal path was clear. Like so many mothers across this country, I saw the future of our Nation and especially our children's future at risk. I couldn't sit by and watch as our country continued down this reckless fiscal path. I had the strong desire to change our Nation's course, and that's what led me to this Nation's Capital.

The truth is that our Nation expects more from its leaders in Congress. I came here to make a difference--to remove the barriers to job creation that have been imposed by this administration's addition to spending, taxation, and regulation. Only by giving more power back to the families and small businesses that make this great Nation can we put our economy back on a sustainable path and help the private sector put people back to work.

I made a promise to the men and women in District 24 that I would fight

to end the spending-driven debt crisis that led to our Nation's dire economic state. I will continue to keep this promise, and I will continue to fight for families across this country by working towards fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, and by removing job-killing regulations that have stifled our Nation's economic growth for far too long.

We need to get our people back to work. We want jobs, and that's what we are fighting so hard to do. As Republican women, we understand, and we will continue to fight to empower small businesses and to reduce the regulation that is hurting our businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome home the Space Shuttle Endeavour and its crew of six from the STS-134 mission. The Space Shuttle Endeavour landed safely in the early morning hours today at Kennedy Space Center located in Florida's 24th Congressional District. The astronauts of STS-134 spent a total of 16 days in space and delivered the Alpha-magnetic Spectrometer-2 to the International Space Station, which will be a critical tool for analyzing cosmic particles traveling through space.

This is the final flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour and now with its 25th successful mission since 1992, including the first servicing mission for the Hubble Space Telescope, numerous Space Station assembly missions, and the delivery of the AMS-2, the orbiter will be retired to the California Science Center. Endeavour has carried over 170 courageous astronauts to space and honorably fulfilled the legacy of its namesake, the 18th century ship chartered by explorer James Cook to travel throughout the south pacific.

I offer my congratulations on a job well done to Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Greg Johnson, Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Drew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff, and European Space Agency Mission Specialist Roberto Vittori.

They are heroes and courageous explorers for all of humanity. Welcome home team.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome home the Space Shuttle Discovery and its crew of six from the STS-133 mission. The Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely at Kennedy Space Center located in Florida's 24th Congressional District this morning. The brave astronauts of Discovery spent 13 days in Space and delivered their payload to the International Space Station flawlessly.

This is the final flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery and with its now 39th successful mission since 1984, including the delivery of the Hubble Space Telescope and the Ulysses robotic probe, we will bid farewell to the most traveled spacecraft in our fleet. Discovery has carried over 180 courageous astronauts to space including the first female shuttle commander and shuttle pilot in history and has been a symbol of space exploration and technological innovation for decades.

I offer my congratulations on a job well done to Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe, and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Steve Bowen, Michael Barratt, and Nicole Stott. They are true American heroes and pioneers in the race for discovery and exploration. Welcome home team.

Mr. Chair, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to join my colleague, Representative Olson, in support of an amendment to transfer $517 million out of NASA's climate change research fund and into human space flight, a proven economic driver and job creator. This amendment sends a clear message to both the administration and the leadership of NASA that it is Congress' intent that human space flight should not and cannot be ignored or marginalized.

As Representative Olson just mentioned, the purpose of this amendment is to highlight the administration's approach to NASA and the direction in which it's heading. At a time when unemployment is at 12 percent in Florida and 9 percent nationwide and our country is facing trillion- dollar deficits, I believe that limited Federal funds are better invested in NASA's human space flight program, not climate change research. Doing so will help to put people back to work and stimulate the economy.

For the last half century, the United States has made a commitment to human space exploration, creating thousands of jobs and contributing to the economies of places like central Florida, Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama.

With the shuttle program winding down and the Constellation program no longer a priority for this administration, I want the American people listening today to understand the fear and uncertainty felt by hardworking families throughout central Florida and the 24th District. They need to know the great benefits that NASA's human space flight program has brought to this Nation in the past and how a policy shift from NASA-administered human space flight to increased research on potential climate changes would devastate the economy of central Florida and many other regions of our country.

The facts are that in Fiscal Year 2010, the President designated $1.2 billion of NASA's total budget towards climate change research. This is on top of the 16 separate agencies and departments outside of NASA that spent an additional $8.7 billion on climate change research in the same fiscal year. Now the President's Fiscal Year 2012 proposed budget allocates even more funding for this type of research.

As NASA's human spaceflight program hangs in the balance, and the tens of thousands of jobs the program supports along with it, it is time for Congress to return NASA's directives and goals back to the congressional intent and the original agency mission: keeping America in front as a global leader in space exploration and helping to rebuild struggling communities in the process.

In closing, I would like to thank Representatives Olson and Posey for working with me in drafting this amendment, and to Chairman Wolf for agreeing to work with our offices as the regular Fiscal Year 2012 appropriations process proceeds.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the opening of the Propellants North Administrative and Maintenance Facility which is one of NASA's most environmentally friendly structures. At a ceremony today, attendees will celebrate the opening of this new facility to help NASA achieve its mission.

The Propellants North Administrative and Maintenance Facility is located near launch complex 39 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The facility will be used for spacecraft fueling support and to store cryogenic fuel transfer equipment. It will be NASA's first carbon- neutral facility producing enough energy onsite from renewable sources to offset what it requires to operate. This construction style will bring a cost savings to NASA, saving taxpayers money.

The facility was built using recycled concrete, bottles, aluminum cans, cardboard, white paper, wood, and steel. NASA's goal for the design and the construction of Propellant North Administrative and Maintenance Facility was to reach for the United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design Platinum status, which is the highest rating a green building can achieve.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating NASA for building an environmentally friendly, economical, and efficient facility. The Propellant North Administrative and Maintenance Facility is a positive step for providing a cleaner environment for future generations and will bring cost savings to Florida taxpayers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of repealing the government takeover of health care and replacing it with commonsense reforms that will reduce the costs and increase the access to quality, affordable health care for especially my constituents in Florida.

The American people have soundly--soundly--rejected the Democrats' flawed government takeover of health care, and it is time to show them that their voices have been heard.

The existing health care law moves this country in the wrong direction by raising taxes, cutting Medicare, restricting private- sector job creation, and putting power into the hands of Washington bureaucrats rather than into the hands of individuals themselves. Individuals want to make their own health care decisions. They don't want government making them for them.

Repealing the current health care law is the first step towards keeping our pledge to the American people that we are serious about cutting spending, creating jobs, and limiting--limiting--the government's role in our everyday lives.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the University of Central Florida on their historic victory over the Georgia Bulldogs on December 31, 2010 in the Liberty Bowl. The Knights edged out the Bulldogs 10-6 in a fantastic game that demonstrated what this young athletic program has to offer to the world of collegiate sports.

This was UCF's first bowl game victory capping off an astonishing year of being ranked for the first time in school history in the top 25 of the AP Poll, USA Today Coaches Poll, Harris Poll and finishing their season at number 25 in the BCS Standings. These achievements are a testament to the determination and strength of the young people that this university is turning out as the future leaders in our community and country.

As the second largest university in the Nation, and my district's flagship university, UCF has been breaking barriers and earning its place at the top of every measure of student achievement, and this year was no exception. I offer my warmest congratulations to the players of this championship team, Coach O'Leary and the entire Administrative staff for all their determination and hard work.